baby love (my baby love)
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Poe and Rey's first child is born.


Poe Dameron, Resistance General and war hero, sobs when his Jedi Master wife delivers their first child. He sobs like a baby, tears and snot all over his face. It's not pretty, but Poe's long past caring about appearances, hasn't cared about the bags under his eyes or the tangles in his hair or the way he kind of stinks like the inside of a tauntaun since Rey entered hour five of what would turn out to be a twenty-seven hour labor.

Rey, gripping his hand, bares down through another contraction and lets out a scream that doesn't sound entirely human. Poe winces, but strokes her sweaty hair off of her face and murmurs encouragement in Basic and Yavinese. Before long, Rey's voice cracks on the scream and there's another, higher-pitched screaming in the medroom.

"Here he is," the midwife announces, holding their son - their son! - in her hands. The infant is covered in blood and gods knows what else, and from what Poe can see, he has a head full of dark hair.

"A boy! Rey, sunshine, a boy!" he sobs, his voice cracking. Rey's hand is sweaty in his, but she squeezes it tightly.

Her eyes seek his and Poe could still get lost in their depths. "He's healthy, I know it," she whispers and Poe beams. He kisses her forehead, cupping her cheek with his free hand.

"I love you so much," he mutters into her mouth. "So much. _Te amo mucho."_

Rey slumps back against the pillows on the bed, exhausted both physically from labor and emotionally from maintaining a steady calm for herself and the baby through the Force. Poe finds a cloth and wipes at her forehead, murmuring in Yavinese as he goes. Rey's picked up enough of her husband's native language to know that he's praising her and expressing gratitude to the Force for keeping them both safe. She grips his hand and asks where the baby is.

"Here, Master Rey," the midwife answers before Poe can panic. "We've cleaned him up a bit, measured and weighed him."

She sets the baby on Rey's chest and Rey looks down at him. The baby blinks open his eyes - dark, like Poe's - and tears fill Rey's eyes. "Oh, hello," she whispers reverently, "I know you."

Even Poe feels the warmth of the Force around them, bonding the new family. He can't stop grinning like a gundark.

"He's perfect," Poe whispers, gently reaching out a hand to brush the back of his knuckle against the baby's cheek. "He's just so... gods, Rey," a sob catches in the back of his throat.

"I know," Rey whispers back. Her eyes haven't left the baby's face since he was placed in her arms. "I know."

The baby blinks at them, calm and so unlike the few newborns that Poe had encountered. Even if Rey hadn't told him that the baby was Force sensitive, Poe would have known it upon immediately laying eyes on their son. It's a surprisingly reassuring piece of knowledge, even as it worries him. They live in times of peace now, not like the war he was born into, and they both wield power and influence enough to keep this baby safe.

Poe's hit with the sudden realization that he would do anything to keep his son safe. Anything.

It's terrifying and exhilarating how deep his love for this minutes-old being runs.

He'd thought his love for Rey was unfathomable, but this? This was a whole new galaxy of love.

"I feel the same," Rey says quietly, briefly looking at Poe's face. He startles and looks at her, a question in his gaze. She smiles, "I didn't know I could love anyone this much; I mean. I would ... I would face a thousand Palpatines for this baby." Her voice wobbles, but there's steel in her tone.

Poe caresses her cheek and kisses her gently, mindful of the baby resting in between them. Resting his forehead against hers, Poe says, "I'll go to the ends of the galaxy and back to make sure nothing hurts either one of you. I swear it, Rey."

The baby lets out a sharp cry, apparently offended that attention was diverted from him. Poe and Rey giggle in shock.

"I wonder if he's hungry," Poe suggests and then calls back the midwife to help Rey feed the baby.

Once they're all settled, the baby attached to Rey's breast, Poe sits on the edge of the bed, just watching his wife and son.

Rey, eyes on the baby, smirks, "I can feel you staring, flyboy."

"Get used to it, Jedi," Poe retorts. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I'm gonna be staring at you for a long time."

Her cheeks flushing pink, Rey wrinkles her nose. "Stop that."

"Never," Poe teases, a sparkle in his dark eyes. His smile grows a little more serious. "Hey, Sunshine?" He scratches the back of his neck, nervous.

"Mhm?" Rey hums, gently manipulating the Force to keep the baby peaceful and to unknot the anxious nerves in Poe's aura.

It works and Poe's forehead relaxes. "Would... I was thinking..." he coughs "I'd like to name him after my mom."

He's been thinking about it for a while, even if he hadn't told Rey. Briefly, Poe wondered if she'd want to name him Luke, after her mentor, but Rey had shot that down quickly. ("It's not that I don't love or respect Luke, I do. I just think that's too big of a burden to place on a child." "Okay," he'd said, "we'll think of a different name.")

"Bey Dameron," Rey says in response, looking between her son and her husband. There are tears in Poe's eyes. She smiles softly. "That's been his name since the beginning, Poe. He's never been anything else."

A strangled sob catches in Poe's throat as he leans forward and cups his hand around the baby's head - gods, he's so small - his thumb brushing against the downy dark hair. "Bey Dameron," Poe repeats, an awe-struck look in his eye. "Hey there buddy," he grins, "Bey. You are so loved, little guy."

Rey reaches out and covers Poe's other hand with hers. He looks down at their hands and then up at her eyes. Rey's hazel eyes flicker happily, if not a little tiredly.

Poe's cheeks hurt from all the smiling he's been doing.

The baby - Bey - releases Rey's nipple with a little pop and curls his little hand against her chest. He smacks his tiny lips, still making a sucking motion, and Rey suddenly gasps.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Poe immediately panics, jumping up and running his hands over Rey's head, looking for the source of her gasp.

Rey swats his hands away, "It's nothing, I'm sorry, I just realised, you haven't held him yet."

"What?" Poe stops, hands hovering in the air.

"You haven't held Bey yet," Rey repeats, already shifting her hands under the baby to lift him into Poe's arms. Before Poe can even comprehend what's happening, his body acts on instinct and accepts the baby, holding him in the crook of his arm. Bey nuzzles close to Poe's chest, his cheek pressed against the wrinkled shirt Poe's been wearing since yesterday.

"Kriff," Poe mutters under his breath, gazing down at his son. Rey giggles even as she closes her eyes and leans her head back against the pillows.

"I'm a dad," Poe grins, a little hysteria entering his tone. Bey blinks up at him and Poe's heart does flips in his chest. "I'm your papá," he tells the baby. "We're gonna get you in an X-wing so soon. And I bet Uncle Finn and Aunt Rose are chomping at the bit to meet you." Poe's eyes widen. "Oh kark, I forgot to let everyone know you're here."

Bey makes a soft mewling noise and Poe's reminded of BB-8.

"Kriff," he curses again, "I can't wait for you to meet BeeBee too! Oh man, you're gonna have a busy few days, _mijo_."

"Let him get his first night's sleep, Poe, and then we'll talk about the X-wing," Rey's voice, tired and happy, chimes in from the bed.

"Oh yeah," Poe agrees quickly and then as soon as he's sure Rey's stopped paying attention, he turns back to Bey and grins, "We're gonna have you in that X-wing before you know it, Bey. Papá's little pilot, right?"

Even though he's falling asleep in Poe's arms, Bey lets out a soft squeaking noise and Poe decides to take that as an agreement. He holds his son until he falls asleep and stares at his perfect little face for even longer.

* * *

_A/N: more dad!poe and mom!rey! this was fun to write and i hope you guys enjoy! lots more to come :)_

_feel free to come and chat with me on tumblr - thewintersoldierdisaster_


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